Good nutrition is the starting point and the foundation for a sustainable future. It is crucial for building the human capital needed for a healthy and prosperous world. Sustainable and healthy food systems are fundamental to reach a world without hunger and malnutrition and to achieve the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Agenda 2063 - The Africa We Want. However, Africa is the continent with the highest prevalence of undernutrition globally with one in every five persons affected, and 59 million children suffering from chronic malnutrition. At the same time, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, obesity and diet-related chronic diseases are also increasing, creating triple burden of malnutrition. This triple burden is probably the greatest threat facing Africa’s development trajectory as the current and next generation of African’s are deprived of reaching their full potential. 

Like all other regions, Africa faces considerable agriculture and food system1 challenges. In parts of the continent, the impacts of climate change and associated environmental degradation are already acutely felt and has caused a resurgence in the numbers of undernourished people trends have also contributed to rising tensions and instability. Conflic,climate and environmental stressors are major drivers of displacement across the continent. Hunger is both a cause and a consequence of conflict. Insurgents are using hunger among civilians as a weapon, causing massive displacements and preventing humanitarian access. Hunger exacerbates crisis, creating ever greater instability and insecurity. 

Up until now, key questions remain unanswered and a lack of scientific consensus is slowing down governments, businesses and civil society actors who want to act on transforming food systems. The forthcoming report of the EAT-Lancet Commission on Food, Planet, Health will change this. The Commission is an unprecedented collaborative effort, bringing together over 30 world-class experts in health, nutrition, agriculture, environmental science and policy, to create a universal reference point for global food system transformation. For the first time, we will have scientific targets for what constitutes both a healthy diet and a sustainable food system.